The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-10-08

steamers was established Mr.. lIarnden
undertook the delivery of valuable par
GELS sent from America to Europe, and
was soon on a sound financial basis. HIS
friends advised him to go west with his
express but he believed the western coun-
try was then too sparsely settled to sup
| port an express. Perhaps he was right
AT about this time he became imbued
with the idea of controlling the immigra-
ton of the United States, and i'll 1871 the
English and Continental express was es-
tablished, with offices in London, Liver
pool and Paris. Ships were chartered,
and small fleet of boats on the Erie
canal to carry the immigrants westward
was pressed into service, and in three
years Harnden controlled a very large
proportion of the immigration to Amer
lea. But it did not pay, and in 1915
llarnden died of consumption, poor
man.
Closely following IIarnden came Alvin
Adams, whose name will be perpetuated
as long as there are express companies,
and Henry Wells. Wells saw money in
the west and the firm of Livingston,
Wells Il Co., was formed to prosecute
the business in the new field. At that
time the United States postal rates We're
high-twenty-five cents being charged
for the carriage of letter from Buffalo
to New York. Wells demonstrated that
letters could be carried between these
points of six cents each at profit, and
opposition to the United States mail was
at once set up. This was against the law
of the land of course, and Livingston,
Wells u Co.'S messengers, mounted on
fleet horses, were often holly pursued by
government riders, were frequently ar
rested, only to be bailed out at once by
sympathetic friends, and were rarely
punished. At last the postal rates were
put down and Livingston, Wells & Co.,
retired from the business of letter carry
ing, having lost money, but gained a
reputation which insured them complete
success aftcrward in the legitimate ex-
press business. They were the forerun-
neIs of the American Express Company.
The Central Overland California and
Pixies Peak express (the celebrated
Pony express) was projected in 1859
Overland to California in thirteen days
was it's promise, and the enterprise WAS
watched with the keenest interest. Its
messengers rode fleet enduring ponies,
and there were frequent relay stations
where fresh messengers on fresh horses
were always IN waiting to take the pack
age on without the delay of a second.
The dangers of this service were SO great
that 81 200 month in gold was the
salary paid messengers. Many men and
wounded by hostile Indians. The rate
was - quarter ounce, which was little
enough, for the concern lost money. The
route was from ST. Joseph, Mo-, to San
Francisco, and the messengers were sent
out from either side once week. The
St. Joseph gazette was the first paper to
send a copy of its publication across the
plains along with the first messenger who
started out April 3, 1860. In 1862 tele-
graph line was built across the plains
and the Pony express died a loser of
$4,000 The Overland Mail Company
came in 1853, carrying monthly mails
from St. Joseph to the Pacific, and at
last the Pacific railroad.
What the American people Of to day
would do without the complex express
organization of the present is hard to i'm
agine. How the old world, where the
express is little known, if indeed it exists
at all, is a mystery.